


silent princess

by painted_pictures



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Gen, urbosa is mentioned too
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-08
Updated: 2019-10-08
Packaged: 2020-11-27 05:23:39
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,042
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20942963
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/painted_pictures/pseuds/painted_pictures
Summary: She was always a powerful girl. It wasn’t because she’d been born to a royal family.(or, zelda is tired of being heir to the throne.)





	silent princess

**Author's Note:**

> i think this is the only google doc in which the name actually matches the title  
i have one called "time to go see my shark bf" and another, "commit arson and fight a big spider"  
on that note, expect a couple more soon

She was always a powerful girl. It wasn’t because she’d been born to a royal family.

It was her mother’s genes, she’d been told, and she believed it. It wasn’t as if she had any reason to think otherwise. She hadn’t known her very long.

At the funeral, she didn’t cry. She grieved, but how could she sob over the loss of a person she hardly knew?

They saw her strong for this. Like she was only doing this so that the kingdom wouldn’t think of her as weak.

They were wrong.

As she got older, more frustration came with her growing age. Frustration at the people, for seeing her as something she was not. At the guards, for making false assumptions about her. At her father, for thinking she could handle every task at once. At herself, for feeling.

In the books, the princesses all learned how to save the day. How to stop their emotions for the sake of their kingdoms. She hid those stories, somewhere. She can’t remember where they are. She doesn’t go looking.

Zelda has just turned sixteen and she’s in the library while her father is at a meeting. She should be with him, but she faked being sick to stay away. It only works because it’s getting colder. A guard gave her an Endura carrot and a few different mushrooms, but she didn’t eat them. They’re still on their tray, on her bedroom’s table.

She only goes to the library when her father is away. She knows he isn’t in there all the time, but she plays it safe.

She’s carrying a stack of books in her hands, and sets them down when she spots an interesting-looking one. Zelda decides it will be the last one she takes today, and picks them back up to take to her study.

As she travels around the back of the castle, she takes a few deep breaths of the chilly air. It’s nice and fresh, and it’s what she needed after the library’s dusty shelves.

When Zelda reaches her study, she places the books on the ground and turns to her room. She eats the food left for her, leaving a few bits to make her lies believable.

She changes into a more comfortable gown, ready to read for a few hours before she’s called to dine.

The book she picks up first is about the plants found in Hyrule. She flips through the pages, skimming the words until she finds something she’s unfamiliar with.

Near the end of the book are a few pages of things Zelda’s never heard of. One of them is called the Silent Princess.

It’s a beautiful flower, blue and white petals she could clearly tell apart from the grassy background in the picture.

The description told her that it was endangered, as it only grew wild. People had made attempts to domesticate them for ages, though their efforts ended in failure.

She knows all too well that you cannot force anything into doing what you want.

They’ve tried.

By the end of the year, Zelda has a friend. Her name is Mipha, princess of the Zora. She never did exactly consider Urbosa a friend, more of a mother figure to replace the one she lost years ago, although she was forever grateful for the Gerudo’s presence and care.

Mipha doesn’t understand everything. Her father is kinder to her, less pushy. Zelda envies her sometimes.

They spent much time together and told each other secrets. Even so, Mipha insisted on saying “Princess” instead of first-name terms. Zelda had given up on trying.

She had a personal guard now, too. He was a bit shorter than her, dark blond hair tied up in the back. She’d never heard his voice.

When the Calamity’s return was told, and the ancient beasts were to be awakened, she didn’t ask for her father to help her travel the kingdom. She took her horse and left, her knight close behind. He followed her everywhere. She doesn’t think he even sleeps much.

They go first to ask Mipha. The Zora quickly agrees to pilot the Divine Beast Vah Ruta, and Zelda is grateful. She goes to Urbosa next, then to Rito Village and Goron City to ask favors from creatures she’s never met but had heard much about.

When she returned to Link, awaiting her at the base of Death Mountain, he held out an offering hand to help her on her horse. She refused it.

It’s not him. She doesn’t blame him for following her father’s orders. She blames her father for thinking she needs a personal guard to assist her everywhere.

She blames her father when he yells at her when she watches the people in the yard, telling her to focus on her duties that she has too many of anyway. She’s too young. She can’t handle them all at once.

It’s like that Silent Princess flower. She can’t be forced to do everything her father wants.

When her seventeenth birthday is upon her and the Calamity strikes as promised, she runs through the forest towards the castle, following Link, who she’s finally managed to forgive.

And when her powers awaken and suck the life out of Ganon’s guardians and Link as well, she feels anger and fear and realization she never wanted. She realizes that she didn’t need Link as a guard, but she did need him. She  _ does _ need him. It’s not just because he was said to help her defeat Ganon, but because he became her friend. He was comforting when she was feeling feelings. He understood a little.

And she was angry, at herself for hurting him. Fearful, for what was going to happen. To her, to Hyrule, to the Champions.

Oh, Hylia, the champions were most likely already dead.

She should’ve been a better heir to the throne.

These thoughts that coursed through her fueled her emotions and were the reason she stormed into Hyrule Castle, ready to face Ganon alone. He took her friends.

He took her home. He’s ready to take her kingdom.

She doesn’t have Link, but that’s okay. He isn’t needed for this.

She doesn’t need a helper. A protector.

She’s tired of being a silent princess.

**Author's Note:**

> i think i like this?? maybe??


End file.
